Creative Work Database

Listing of creative work related to Singapore.

Our new Creative Work database is a repository for literary and dramatic works related to Singapore which are written by FASS Faculty and Students, past and present. The contents of this work-in-progress call on the theories and techniques taught and researched at FASS. Some of the creative work links to a sample of the original text. Research is also ongoing and the database will grow as we continue to update it. Items with the symbol “i” indicate that an abstract is available.

To search more effectively, please use the MLA or APA citation style which uses the author’s last name and initials.

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When a chance reading of an art book depicting the atrocities committed by the Japanese in Singapore during World War II leads to a series of meet-ups with a Japanese researcher, Lee reflects on the trauma experienced by that generation of Singaporeans, as well as the importance of forgiving while not forgetting the past.

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This collection brings together in one volume, the author's first four volumes of poetry which have long been out of print: Prospect Of A Drowning (1980), Against The Next Wave (1988), The Brink Of An Amen (1991), and Lambada By Galilee & Other Surprises (1997). These won her numerous awards and international recognition, including the Singapore Cultural Medallion for Literature (1985), the SEA (South East Asia) WRITE Award 1987, and the Gabriela Mistral Award (1995) from the Republic of Chile. The author has gone on to publish more recent volumes, but readers will welcome the re-publication of this earlier work which ensured her reputation as Singapore's foremost woman poet of international stature.

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In this essay, Lee harks back to the 1960s when he and his family were relocated from a kampong to a HDB flat, when dustbins were placed outside the flats, and farmers would collect the waste for pigs' feed. Despite the stench, there were no complaints largely because the kampong spirit remained.

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After viewing footage of Singapore in 1957, Lee considers that while nostalgia is inherent to human nature, the fast pace of modern society has given rise to calculating people who value things only for their monetary value. He warns that communities without a sense of nostalgia may be characterised by materialism and lack of pride in their historical heritage.

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Lee considers how religious zest and/or altruism can inspire people to make sacrifices for philanthropic causes, and wonders if serving the country should entail high monetary rewards. Referring to Singapore's ministerial salary review, he believes it depends on the prevailing social milieu, and if pragmatism dominates idealism, then competitive salaries are necessary.

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Lee describes the great changes wrought by time in the area around Circular Road, where he lived for 20 years. He also warns the middle-aged that they may experience regret later in life if they fail to slow down. He draws an analogy between the journey of life and mountain-climbing.

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In this essay, Lee describes the spaciousness of the environment as well as his surprise at the public amenities and landscape he sees while travelling from the Tampines Expressway. He concludes that one needs an open heart in order to appreciate one's surroundings.

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By describing the size and the harsh weather of Beijing, and also imagining how much worse it must be in Xinjiang, Lee hopes to emphasise Singapore's small size. He urges Singaporeans to be big-hearted when settling squabbles, which can arise from the physical constraints. Furthermore, Singaporeans should cherish what they have, and not be deceived by appearances into envying others.